Articles by Gene Beresin, Khadijah Booth Watkins and Kevin Simon, MD

March 16, 2023

By Khadijah Booth Watkins, Associate Director

How Should We Respond to Anxiety in Our Kids? feat. Kevin Simon, MD

Anxiety. Unhealthy levels are rising in our kids and teens. What can we do to help them? On today’s episode of Shrinking It Down: Mental Health Made Simple, Gene and Khadijah are joined by very special guest Dr. Kevin Simon, the first Chief Behavioral Health Officer for the City of Boston, to help make sense […]

February 16, 2023

By Khadijah Booth Watkins, Associate Director

Understanding Obesity Stigma, feat. Angela Fitch, MD, FACP, FOMA

We often hear about how stigma can prevent appropriate treatment for mental disorders and promote feelings of shame or low self-worth among those struggling with their mental health. Did you know the same is true for obesity? Obesity is a complex disease, and stigma prevents us from understanding what it actually is and how it […]

January 19, 2023

By Khadijah Booth Watkins, Associate Director

Dr. Gene and Dr. Khadijah Answer Your Questions – Shrinking It Down

From challenges with hair pulling to supporting a child through a regression in toilet training, Dr. Gene Beresin and Dr. Khadijah Booth Watkins answer real parent questions in this episode. For each question, they offer clinical insight to help parents better understand what might be going on, and suggestions for next steps and ways to […]

January 5, 2023

By Khadijah Booth Watkins, Associate Director

Our Next Podcast Special Guest Is…YOU – Send Us Your Questions!

We’re kicking off 2023 with a special episode of Shrinking It Down: Mental Health Made Simple featuring *you* our listeners. What questions do you have about the mental health of a child or teen in your life? Dr. Gene Beresin and Dr. Khadijah Booth Watkins will answer them on January 19! E-mail your questions: genemghclaycenter.org […]

December 22, 2022

By Khadijah Booth Watkins, Associate Director

How Do Social Justice and Youth Sports Intersect? ft. Dr. Jonathan Jenkins, Psy.D, CMPC

How do social justice issues intersect with youth sports? Tune in to this bonus episode of Shrinking It Down, featuring Dr. Jonathan Jenkins of the Sport Psychology Program at Mass General, for a thoughtful conversation on how societal concerns, including systemic racism, continue to impact all of our young athletes. Media List Jonathan Jenkins, Psy.D, […]

December 15, 2022

By Khadijah Booth Watkins, Associate Director

Young People, Sports, and Mental Health ft. Dr. Jonathan Jenkins, Psy.D, CMPC – Shrinking It Down

Sports can be such a positive space for young people to let off steam, learn important life skills, and build long lasting relationships. There are times, though, when it can be too much, injury strikes, or someone doesn’t make the team they were hoping to. In this must-listen episode, Dr. Jonathan Jenkins of the Sport […]

November 17, 2022

By Khadijah Booth Watkins, Associate Director

Self-Harm in Teens ft. Dr. Blaise Aguirre, MD – Shrinking It Down

*Content Warning: This episode contains segments of discussion that may be difficult for some audience members to hear. Content such as descriptions of self-harm methods are included. Self-harm is a rising mental health concern that tends to begin in the teenage years. But what are some of the causes and what can we do to […]

October 26, 2022

By Khadijah Booth Watkins, Associate Director

The Benefits of Music Therapy, ft. Marisabelle Díaz-Falcón, MPH, MT-BC – Shrinking It Down

As Dr. Gene Beresin always says, music is a universal language. To kick off our new podcast season, and in honor of Gene’s new book, Music, today we’ll look into the ways music can help us heal. Special guest Marisabelle Díaz-Falcón, a board-certified music therapist at Massachusetts General Hospital, joins Gene and Khadijah to talk […]

June 30, 2022

By Khadijah Booth Watkins, Associate Director

How Do I Talk to My Kids About Gender and Sexuality? Ft. Dr. Marshall Forstein, MD, DLFAPA – Shrinking It Down

 *Content warning: Some of the conversation today includes topics that some listeners may find sensitive including sexuality, gender identity, and violence towards members of the LGBTQIA+ community. What is gender identity? How is it different from sexual orientation? And why are pronouns so important? We talk through all of these questions and more in […]

June 9, 2022

By Khadijah Booth Watkins, Associate Director

You Ask, Our Docs Answer! Podcast Miniseries – Shrinking It Down

This past May, Mental Health Awareness Month, we received child mental health questions from our Instagram followers. In this podcast miniseries, Dr. Gene Beresin and Dr. Khadijah Booth Watkins, along with special guests, answered them in short episodes. Tune in below, or subscribe wherever you stream – just search for Shrinking It Down. How Do […]